So we're biking through a remote part of China, rumored to be the home of the nuke program. Huge desert. We're in the middle of a 12-day sprint through this thing, and there's a town on the map- sweet! Showers, restaurant, we're psyched. Homie pulls up next to a guy on a motorcycle at a red light and asks him directions to the market so we can chow down. Sure thing, he says, follow me! We pull a U-turn and he leads us...straight to the cop shop. Oh, the uniform. Right.

So a big conference ensues among the various PSB, local cops, etc. the upshot of which is 'you can't be here, you can't go where you want to go, and you need to take this 1000k detour. Immediately.' Protests ensue, centering on the fact that we cannot undertake this 1000k detour without first stocking up on food. The convenience store across the street is pointed out. Sweet- we'll head out into the desert with cigarettes, chips and People's Redbull. Not happening.

After more conferring a handler is assigned us for the market run, after which we promise to begin this epic waterless detour. KK and Homie hop in the police van with the handler and are driven to the market, disobeying orders to scoop up some much-needed beers at an unauthorized shop. We are reunited. It's late afternoon, time to go. We solemnly promise to begin the reverse-course detour and cycle off the way we came.

No one follows. We are leaving their jurisdiction. At the edge of town, we sneak a peek back: no one. Instead of a meek and dutiful left we pull a right and continue on our path. There is no believing our good fortune but apparently it is no one's particular duty to ensure that we actually carry out the terms of our agreement.

After camping in a ditch far off the road we continue, still a bit unsure of whether we can actually pull this off. Far out in the desert an olive-drab jeep pulls up behind us, passes, and parks some ways ahead. Two guys in uniforms disembark, one carrying a black briefcase. Ignoring us, they tromp across the sand to a manhole cover some ways off the road and clamber down out of sight. We do not photograph this.

This is not a bump. Well, I suppose it is in a way, but more a comment on my threads never having legs. I must be boring (not easy for an actor and writer to say). But I thought this one would be of interest.

Now Pat the Pouter will go cry. ;-)

EDIT

Reilly, yeah, a lot of bolts. I wonder how trustworthy Chinese-made bolts are? And I'd imagine that if they allowing climbing and bolting that it would be by hand drill and not a power drill.